Liner hanger and setting tool therefor



March 2, 1965 w. H. STATES 3,171,491

LINER HANGER AND SETTING TOOL THEREFOR Filed Oct. 12, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 D N F; .2.

1/24 191 INVENTOR.

WLL/HMH. 5722755 1 @M Q M ,OTTaQ/VE March 2, 1965 Filed Oct. 12, 1962 w. H. STATES 3,171,491

LINER HANGER AND SETTING TOOL THEREFOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. i I/kL/n/w 19, 570755 @aww March 2, 1965 w. H. STATES 3,171,491

LINER HANGER AND SETTING TOOL THEREFOR Filed Oct. 12, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 1 1 /44 #7 H 37,0 755 @Q Maw HTTQQ/VEX March 2, 1965 w. H. STATES 3,171,491

LINER HANGER AND SETTING TOOL THEREFOR Filed Oct. 12, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 JET 6,

INVENTOR. "/LL/QMH. 5777 755 ma wa United States Patent 3,171,49 1 LINER HANGER AND SETTING TGQL THEREFGR William H. States, Garden Grove, Caiih, assignor to Midway Fishing Tool Co, a corporation of California Fiied Get. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 230,800 4 (Itaims. (Cl. 166-124) This application is a continuation-impart of copending application Serial No. 80,495 filed January 3, 1961, now abandoned.

This invention is an improvement on the Liner Hanger and Setting Tool Therefor disclosed and claimed in my copending application for U.S. Letters Patent, Serial No. 230,799 filed herewith.

The invention disclosed in said application, in its broader aspects, provides a hanger, the actual setting of which in a well casing is effected by a simple double reversal of the downward direction of longitudinal movement of the hanger and the liner suspended thereon, within the well casing, but which cannot be so set until after a preliminary conditioning of the hanger mechanism which can only be accomplished by a multiple rotation of the setting tool. The purpose of this is to give assurance to the driller that the hanger cannot be accidentally set before the hanger is in exactly the place where the driller desires to set it.

The specific embodiment disclosed in said copendlng application has the additional merit that not only must the conditioning step precede the setting step, but the conditioning step can only be initiated after the liner suspended on the hanger and tool of the invention is resting on the bottom of the well. This assures the driller that the setting of the hanger in the casing will not occur prior to the bottoming of the liner in the well. There are instances, however, in which the operator finds it convenient to set the hanger in the casing without having to first lower the liner to the well bottom.

It is an object of the present invention to provide such a liner hanger and setting tool therefor which is operable to condition the hanger for the setting step by a multiple rotation of the setting tool and without the necessity of the liner being bottomed in the well. Such conditioning can thus be accomplished with the hanger at any level in the well and, after such conditioning takes place, the hanger is set against the casing by the next initiation of a downward movement of the hanger in the well.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such an improved hanger and setting tool in which the hanger has incorporated therewith a tubular expansive rubber packer the expansion of which is accomplished by rotation of the tool following the setting of the packer in the casing.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects as well as further objects and advantages will be made manifest in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the liner hanger and setting tool of the invention, with the parts thereof positioned as when running the same into a well casing, shown in section.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the liner hanger and setting tool and Well casing of FIG. 1 with certain of the parts shown in elevation and with the body of the liner hanger moved vertically to the limit of its upward movement relative to the slips preparatory to conditioning the slips and the expander for a slip setting operation.

FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 but showing the slips and the expander conditioned for expansion of the slips into engagement with the well casing merely by a lowering of the hanger in said casing.

3,1 l 1,49 l Patented Mar. 2, 1965 "ice FIG. 4 is a View corresponding to FIG. 3 showing the liner hanger set in the well casing by such a lowering of said hanger.

FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing the setting tool retrieved from the liner hanger.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged transverse sectional View taken on the line 7'7 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 8-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 9 is a view in longitudinal section with certain of the parts shown in elevation, of a liner hanger as illustrated in FIGS. 1-8 provided with a packer, the parts being relatively positioned as when said hanger is being run into a well.

FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 9 but illustrating the liner hanger set in engagement with the well casing prior to the setting of the packer in engagement with the well casing.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view illustrating the packer of FIG. 10 set in engagement with the well casing.

Referring specifically to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of the invention is there disclosed with the parts positioned as when lowering a liner L downwardly through a well casing C. Associated in the invention are a hanger H, from the lower end of which the liner L is suspended, and a setting tool T by which the hanger H is suspended froin the lower end of a running-in tubing string 127.

The hanger H includes a tubular body 101 which has threaded connection at its lower end with the liner L, the body 101 also having coarse left-hand internal threads in an upper end portion thereof and external right-hand threads on a slightly longer upper portion thereof. A tubular member 102 has right-hand internal threads 105 into which the upper portion of the hanger body 101 screws, a substantial portion of member 102 at its lower end being inwardly relieved to provide a sealing surface 105a while the same lower portion of the member 102 is outwardly tapered to form an expander surface 106. The hanger body 101 has an external annular groove in which an O-ring 107 is confined so as to bear against the sealing surface 105a of member 102 as shown in FIG. 2.

For reasons to be made clear hereinafter, the tubular member 102 is generally designated herein as the expander E of the invention and is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in its upward, potentially inoperative position on the hanger body 101.

The hanger H is provided with bowed casing engaging friction springs 108 which are supported at their lower ends on a carrier ring 109 which is slidable on the body 101, and at their upper ends on a slip carrier ring 110 which is also slidable on said body. Projecting upwardly from ring 110 are a plurality of circumferentially spaced parallel springs 110a on the upper ends of which are mounted wickered slips 111.

The springs 108 are bowed outwardly into frictional engagement with the inner surface of the casing C so as to retard rotational or longiutdinal movement of the assembly of said springs and rings 109 and 110 Within the casing, this assembly being hereinafter referred to as the drag device D.

The body 101 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed longitudinally extending keys 112 which slidably fit keyways 112a provided in inner surfaces of the ring 109 so as to prevent rotation of the drag device D relative to the hanger body 101, While permitting a limited freedom of said drag device for reciprocatory movement relative to said hanger body. Upper and lower limits of said relative reciprocation of the drag device are defined by a boss 113 welded to the outer surface of hanger body 101 between rings 109 and 110, the upper limit of such movement being reached when ring 109 engages boss 113 and the lower limit being reached when ring 110 engages said boss.

The setting tool T of the invention includes a mandrel 120 which is preferably square in cross section and connects with the hanger H through a plug 121 by extending through a square axial opening 122 in the latter which said mandrel slidably fits. The plug 121 is provided with left-hand external threads which are complementary to the internal left-handed threads provided in the upper portion of hanger body 101 and said plug is screwed into said body as shown in FIG. 2. At its upper end the mandrel 120 is threadedly connected at 125 to a sub 126 which screws on the lower end of running-in string 127. At its lower end mandrel 120 has a bottom sub 128 which is threadedly connected thereto by threads 129 and having lower internal threads 130 for the reception of a wash pipe or stringer, as desired.

A thrust bearing 132 is interposed between the plug 121 and the bottom sub 128 to enable ease of rotation 'of' the setting tool mandrel 120 within the plug 121 when the setting tool is supporting the hanger H with the liner L suspended thereon as shown in FIG. 2. As best shown in FIG. 7, the mandrel 120 is circular in cross section in its lower region so that when the hanger H is suspended on said mandrel, the latter may be rotated without turning the plug 121.

Surrounding the mandrel 120 and resting on top of the plug 121 is a short tubular spacer 133. Resting on this spacer and having a square axial aperture which the mandrel 120 slidably fits is a torque head 136 which carries a pair of pivoted torque lugs 139 disposed in radial slots 140 which are urged outwardly by compression springs 141 so as to be engageable in longitudinally extended torque grooves 145 in the upper end portion of the tubular member 102.

Operation In using the subject invention, the operator will. run the assembled setting tool, hanger and liner into the well casing C suspended on the lower end of running-in string 127 with the parts positioned as shown in FIG. 1. Here it is seen that the expander E is in the upper of its two positions relative to the hanger body 101 and the drag device is in the upper of its two extreme limits of movement longitudinally relative to the hanger body 101. With these three elements so related it is impossible for the expander E to function to set theslips 111 mounted on the drag device against the casing C. The operator may thus lower the assembly through the casing C with assurance that the [hanger will not be set in the casing inadvertently.

The conditioning of the hanger. H which must take place before it can be set in the casing C consists in rotating the expander E in a right-hand direction so that its threaded engagement with the upper outer portion of the hanger body 101 will lower this expander to itspotentially operative position in which it is shown in FIG. 3. In the illustrated embodiment this requires approximately five complete clockwise turns of the setting tool. The operator does not thus condition the expander E however until he has located the hanger in approximately the position where-he wishes to set this in the casing. This is because the hanger H .will be automatically set in the casing merely by the first short downward movement of the hanger in the casing which follows the conditioning step.

To take advantage ofthe application of the down- .ward momentum of the hanger H and liner L in the actual slip setting operation, the hanger is first lifted a short distance in the casing, from the position in which the parts are shown in .FIG. 1, to place the drag device D at the lower limit of its vertical relationship with the hanger body 101, as shown in FIG. 2. The setting tool T is now rotated in a clockwise direction this rotation being transmitted by the torque lugs 139 to the tubular member 102 of the expander E so that this member is screwed downwardly from its potentially inoperative position relative to the hanger body 101 to its potentially operative position relative to said body, as shown in FIG. 3. Here it is noted that owing to the drag device D being disposed at its downward limit relative to the hanger body 102, the downward movement of the expander E, while slipping the lower end of the expander under the upper tip ends of the slips 111, .does not expand these slips into engagement with thecasing. It is also to be noted that the downward travel of the tubular member 102 by virtue of its rotation "by the setting tool T causes the torque lugs 139 to ride upwardly out.of engagement with the torque grooves 1450f said member. Thus the mandrel 120 may now be rotated without imparting further rotation to the tubular member 102.

The setting of the hanger H in the casing C is now effected merely by suddenly lowering the setting tool T so that the mandrel .120 slides downwardly through the torque head 136 and plug 121 while the friction, of the drag device D against the, casing holds the slips 111 against being moved downwardly as a result of which, the expander E is wedged beneathsaid slips quickly expanding the latter outwardly into biting engagement with the casing C. This engagement causes slips 111 to anchor the hanger H on the casing so as to halt downward movement of the hanger and liner in the casing. Downward movement of the setting tool is, however, continued until the sub 126 delivers a downward blow on the torque head 136 which of course is transmitted through the assembly to the expander E thereby driving this further downwardly within the slips 111 and forcing these deeper into the metal of the casing C so as to permanently set the hanger H in the casing and suspend the liner L from the latter.

The downward extension of the setting tool, as shown in FIG. 4, brings the square portion of the mandrel 120 into the plug 121 the square central aperture of which slidably fits the square cross section of the mandrel so that rotation of the latter in a clockwise direction now unscrews the plug 121 thereby permitting the tool T to be retrieved from the well when the running-in string 127 is removed therefrom as shown in FIG. 5.

. Referring now to FIGS. 9, 10 and 11, a modified form of the invention is here disclosed which differs from the preferred embodiment above described by embodying a packer P with the hanger H of the invention. This packer includes a tubular member 103 which is threadedly connected to a modified tubular member 102a as at 104 (FIG. 9). The packerP also includes a setting sleeve threadedly connected as at 114 to the upper end of the tubular member 103. Between the sleeve 115 and the upper end of the tubular member 102a is a packing means generally denoted at 116 and including a plurality of interspersed resilient deformable packing elements 117 and spacer rings 118. In lieu of torque lug receiving drive grooves 145, the upper extremity of the tubular member 102a now accommodates the tubular member 103 and is threadedly secured thereto by tapered threads 104. At its lower extremity the tubular member 103 is provided with internal torque lug receiving grooves 145a which correspond in the location to grooves 145 of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. l-8 so that the member 102a will be rotatable by the mandrel in exactly the same manner asin the preferred embodiment above described. I

In order to set the packer P, the upper extremity of the packer setting sleeve 115 is provided with a pair of opposed'notches 146 adapted to receive torque lugs 147 projecting laterally from a modified top sub 126a of the setting tool. Thus, when the assembled setting tool, packer, hanger and liner have been run into the well to a 55 desired location and subsequently elevated as shown in FIG. 9 so as to place the drag device at its lower limit of reciprocation relative to the hanger body 191, the expander E may be screwed downwardly to its potentially operative position by rotation of the mandrel 120 and the hanger set in the casing C just as described relative to the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-8.

With the hanger suspended by the slips 111 engaging the casing C, the setting tool may be lowered to engage the plug 121 of the setting tool with the square portion of the mandrel 126 so that the plug 121 can be backed out of the left-hand thread which connects it to the upper end of the hanger body 191. Thereafter, the setting tool may be lowered to bring the torque lugs 147 of the modified top sub 126a into engagement with the notches 146, thus enabling rotation of the packer setting sleeve 115 which will screw the same downwardly on tubular member 1433 to expand the packer elements 117 into sealing engagement with the well casing C as shown in FIG. 11.

While only one preferred embodiment and one modification thereof have been disclosed in this application, it is to be understood that these disclosures have been for illustrative purposes only, and that various changes and modifications may be made in these without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hanger and a tool for setting the same in a well casing to suspend a liner from said casing, the combination of: a tubular hanger body; means for suspending said liner from said body; a drag device mounted on said body and freely reciprocable longitudinally relative to said body between upper and lower limits on said body, said device frictionally engaging said casing to retard longitudinal movement and rotation of said device in said casing; means on said body defining said limits by engaging said device when longitudinal movement of said body, relative to said device has brought said device to either of said limits, said limit defining means thereupon causing said device to move longitudinally in said casing with said body; key means limiting relative rotation between said body and said device; slip means provided on said device and extending upwardly therefrom; an expander for said slip means longitudinally shiftably mounted on said body above said slip means and normally disposed upwardly out of operative relation with said slip means when said drag device is at its upper limit aforesaid on said body; a setting tool including a mandrel provided with means for attachment to a running-in string for suspension of said mandre from said string and rotation of said mandrel by said string; interengaging means on said mandrel and said body for suspending said body on said mandrel; and threaded means operable by rotation of said mandrel and including means transmitting torque from said mandrel to said expander while said hanger body and liner are suspended on said mandrel by said interengaging means, and following an upward movement of said mandrel sufficient to locate said drag device at the lower limit of its movement relative to said hanger body, to shift said expander downwardly on said body to a potentially operative relation with said slip means but without expanding said slip means because of the downward relative location of said drag device on said body, whereby expansion of said slip means may be effected forthwith merely by lowering said body relative to said casing and said drag device.

2. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein said interengaging means for suspending said body on said mandrel comprise thread means which may be disengaged, following the setting of said slip means against said casing, by rotation of said mandrel to disconnect said tool from said body and permit said tool to be removed from said casing with said running-in string.

3. A combination as recited in claim 2 wherein said thread means include internal left-hand threads provided in an upper portion of said tubular body and a plug with complementary left-hand threads screwed downwardly into said body, said plug having a central aperture with polygonal cross section, said mandrel having a corresponding polygonal cross section which slidably fits the aperture in said plug, a lower portion of said mandrel having a cylindrical external surface which lower portion is freely rotatable when disposed within said plug; abutment means provided on the lower end of said mandrel for upwardly engaging the bottom of said plug to support said hanger and liner on said mandrel, an upper portion of said tubular body having external right-hand threads, said expander comprising a tubular sleeve having internal righthand threads adapted to screw onto the upper portion of said tubular body, a lower portion of said expander being externally tapered and an upper portion of said expander havirv circumferentially spaced vertical torque grooves; a torque head having a central aperture similar to that of said plug and slidably and non-rotatably mounted on said mandrel above said plug; torque lugs mounted peripherally on said torque head and spring biased radially to engage in said grooves; and a thrust bearing surrounding said mandrel between said abutment means and said plug to prevent sumcient torque being applied to said plug by right-hand rotation of said mandrel while said hanger and liner are suspended therefrom to unscrew said plug, such rotation of said mandrel thus being feasible while the weight of the hanger and liner are borne by the mandrel for the purpose of rotating said expander so as to screw the same downwardly on the aforesaid external threads on said tubular body to locate said expander in a potentially operative relation with said slip means, after said mandrel has been lifted a short distance within said casing to position said drag device at the lower limit of its movement on said tubular body, whereby the setting of said slips against said casing will be effected by the next downward movement of said mandrel relative to said casing, said torque lugs riding out of said vertical torque grooves in said expander at the termination of the downward shifting of the latter whereby upon said slip means being set against said casing so as to suspend said hanger in said casing, said mandrel is adapted to be extended downwardly through said plug to bring the polygonal portion of said mandrel within the polygonal aperture of said plug and the mandrel then rotated to the right to unscrew said plug from the internal threads in the upper portion of said tubular body and thus disconnect said mandrel from said hanger.

4. A combination as recited in claim 3 wherein a tubular packer is provided on said expander to extend upwardly therefrom; and threaded means operated by rotation or" said mandrel subsequent to the setting of said slip means on said casing, to set said packer against said casing to seal off the space between said body and said casing, said packer including an internally threaded sleeve having circumferentially spaced torque notches in its upper edge, an upper portion of said expander having external threads on which said sleeve is screwed, said means for connecting said mandrel to said running-in string comprising a sub; and radio torque lugs on said sub which engage with said torque notches when said mandrel is lowered through said torque head and plug after said hanger is set in said casing, whereby rotation of said mandrel rotates said sleeve and sets said packer against said casing.

References tilted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,318,167 5/43 Knowlton 166-138 2,442,544 6/48 Johnson l66l43 2,638,987 5/53 Condra 166-18l 2,693,859 11/54 Wright l66208 2,851,108 9/58 Reed l66l39 BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Exmnz'l'zer. 

1. IN A HANGER AND A TOOL FOR SETTING THE SAME IN A WELL CASING TO SUSPEND A LINER FROM SAID CASING, THE COMBINATION OF: A TUBULAR HANGER BODY; MEANS FOR SUSPENDING SAID LINER FROM SAID BODY; A DRAG DEVICE MOUNTED ON SAID BODY AND FREELY RECIPROCABLE LONGITUDINALLY RELATIVE TO SAID BODY BETWEEN UPPER AND LOWER LIMITS ON SAID BODY, SAID DEVICE FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING SAID CASING TO RETARD LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT AND ROTATION OF SAID DEVICE IN SAID CASING; MEANS ON SAID BODY DEFINING SAID LIMITS BY ENGAGING SAID DEVICE WHEN LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID BODY, RELATIVE TO SAID DEVICE HAS BROUGHT SAID DEVICE TO EITHER OF SAID LIMITS, SAID LIMIT DEFINING MEANS THEREUPON CAUSING SAID DEVICE TO MOVE LONGITUDINALLY IN SAID CASING WITH SAID BODY; KEY MEANS LIMITING RELATIVE ROTATION BETWEEN SAID BODY AND SAID DEVICE; SLIP MEANS PROVIDED ON SAID DEVICE AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM; AN EXPANDER FOR SAID SLIP MEANS LONGITUDINALLY SHIFTABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BODY ABOVE SAID SLIP MEANS AND NORMALLY DISPOSED UPWARDLY OUT OF OPERATIVE RELATION WITH SAID SLIP MEANS WHEN SAID DRAG DEVICE IS AT ITS UPPER LIMIT AFORESAID ON SAID BODY; A SETTING TOOL INCLUDING A MANDREL PRO- 